What changed
Length and scoring
NCBE describes nine hours of testing across three three-hour sessions, with a score scale from 500 to 750. Because it is a new exam on a new scale, a NextGen score is not simply comparable to a legacy UBE score. Each jurisdiction sets its own passing score.
Which jurisdictions and when
NCBE's page lists the schedule by jurisdiction. July 2026: Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, the Virgin Islands and Washington. July 2027: Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. February 2028: Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois and Montana. July 2028: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Mississippi's date is to be determined. NCBE's table shows Arkansas, Louisiana, Nevada and Puerto Rico as not having adopted it. NCBE's page describes the legacy UBE as administered through February 2028. The February 2027 NextGen jurisdictions are the ten that began in July 2026, and everyone else takes the legacy exam in February 2027.
What subjects are tested
The foundational concepts and principles cover Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, Torts and Business Associations. Per NCBE's content scope, Family Law joins the foundational concepts starting with the July 2028 NextGen UBE. Before that, Family Law and Trusts and Estates appear in skills-focused questions where the legal resources are provided, and on the legacy MPT during the transition.
Score transfers and the legacy exam
A portable UBE score requires taking all parts in the same UBE jurisdiction in the same administration. Whether a jurisdiction accepts scores from the other form of the exam, and from which administration dates, is set by that jurisdiction. Ask each jurisdiction you may apply to, in writing, before you decide which exam to sit for.
Should you take the legacy exam first
If your jurisdiction still offers the legacy exam on your timeline, you have a choice only if the jurisdiction lets you. Compare the study materials available for each, your readiness and the transfer rules. Do not take an exam a year earlier than you are ready just to avoid the new format, since a failed attempt has its own costs.
Can I use old materials
Doctrine you learned for the MBE still helps, but the format and the skills tested are different. Use official NextGen samples and NCBE's sourcebooks for the scope, and check any older material against the content scope.
Common questions
Which states use the NextGen bar exam?+
NCBE lists 10 jurisdictions starting in July 2026, 13 in July 2027, 4 in February 2028 and 24 in July 2028, with Mississippi's date to be determined. Arkansas, Louisiana, Nevada and Puerto Rico are shown as not having adopted it.
Does NextGen replace the MEE and MPT?+
In adopting jurisdictions, yes. NextGen replaces the MBE, MEE and MPT with multiple choice, integrated question sets and performance tasks. Legacy jurisdictions continue with the old format.
When does Family Law join the NextGen foundational subjects?+
According to NCBE's content scope, starting with the July 2028 NextGen UBE. Before then, family law appears in skills-focused questions with legal resources provided.
What to do next
- 1
Find your jurisdiction's adoption date and exam form.
- 2
Read NCBE's NextGen content scope for your date.
- 3
Ask in writing how score transfers work between forms.